Halloween is just around the corner and with it comes great opportunities for family fun!

Kids nowadays spend a lot of time inside looking at screens (phones, computers, video games), so getting your kids outside with the whole family could get them some much needed fresh air!

Cute jack-o-lanterns not only get the family together for a fun and creative project, but you also end up with great Halloween decorations for your house!

Homemade Jack-O-Lantern Directions

Have your kids (plus you and your spouse for that matter, why should they get to have all the fun?) draw out their own designs on a piece of blank printer paper. Make sure it’s fairly simple lines and stencil-like so that cutting the design into the pumpkin doesn’t turn in chaos. This adds a great personal touch that you wouldn’t get from store-bought designs or stencils, and your kids can make whatever they want.

Now, it’s time to gut the pumpkin! Cut a hole around where the stem attaches to the pumpkin. Then, have your little ones stick theirs hands inside to remove all the goo! They’re sure to love this part. Note: Some people are allergic to an enzyme in raw pumpkin. You may want to wear rubber gloves when de-seeding.

Next, tape the piece of paper with your design on it to the part of the pumpkin where you want to carve. Poke holes along the design every few millimeters and make sure it marks the pumpkin under your design. Then, you’re ready cut the pattern into the pumpkin!

There are pumpkin carving kits that become widely available in October with smaller knives that are safer for kids to use and aren’t too sharp. Cut along the design you made when you poked the little holes and ta-da! Now you have a cute jack-o-lantern made with love by someone in your family.

For some extra, delicious fun, set aside the seeds when hollowing out your pumpkin and set them in the oven for a few minutes with some salt. Pumpkin seeds are a perfect fall treat to munch on while you stick candles in your jack-o-lanterns and admire your work with your family.